Rebuilding the China-Japan relationship

HuangShan

TakehiroMasutomo

BEIJING (Caixin Online) — As a career diplomat, 60-year-old Masato Kitera knows the weight of his new position as Japan’s ambassador to China, a post he took up in December.

Four months ago, the embassy was surrounded by Chinese protestors angry about the dispute over Diaoyu Islands, which the Japanese call the Senkakus. At that critical time, the new ambassador, Shinichi Nishimiya, died unexpectedly three days after his appointment was made public.

Today, the tension over the disputed territory continues to simmer as the governments take measures to smooth relations.

An envoy from Tokyo, Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the New Komeito party, visited Beijing in late January and handed Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party, a personal letter from new the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

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“The situation will never escalate from the Japanese side,” said Kitera during an interview with Caixin in late January. “My mission is to expand and deepen friendly Japanese-Chinese relations.”

Kitera also elaborated on bilateral ties in business, the environment and exchange programs, which he hoped can improve frayed ties and bitter feelings.

Excerpt of the interview follows:

Caixin: Serving as ambassador at this critical moment, what is your main mission?

Kitera: Before leaving Tokyo, a lot of friends said that I was taking up the position of ambassador at a difficult time. I also expected it might not be easy to start work after coming to Beijing.

But Japan and China are neighbors, and Sino-Japanese relations have been normalized for 40 years. The relationship is broad and deep. So my first priority is to expand and deepen friendly relations, for which I will spare no efforts.

Q. China and Japan have different stances in the dispute over Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. What steps should the two countries take to avoid the further deterioration of the situation?

Kitera: This is a difficult period for Sino-Japanese relations.

I hope we are able to make a great effort to improve political relations, but what is needed now is to exercise restraint. Japan hopes to be able to handle this matter peacefully. This is the approach that senior officials in Japan have indicated many times. I want to state clearly that this situation will never escalate from the Japanese side.

Kitera: Since World War II, Japan has been a peace-loving country that has made great contributions to the peace and prosperity of Asia. This is a national policy that has received the support of the Japanese people, and it won’t change in the future.

As a democratic country shouldering responsibility in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan will continue to contribute to peace in the region, so there is no need to worry about this.

In any case, one shouldn’t judge or criticize based on media reports alone. I hope that we can all carefully observe what policies the Abe administration enacts in the future.

Q. You are not from the “China School” in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but you have been involved in grant cooperation affairs and have been in charge of regional work in Mongolia, Cambodia, Thailand and Africa. In this work, what impression have you had of China, and in what position have you placed Sino-Japanese relations?

Kitera: Since entering the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I’ve experienced a lot more than I first imagined.

Twenty-one years ago, which was 20 years after the normalization of relations, I served as chief official (deputy office head) of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs China sub-office. At the time, China faced many difficulties in the international community.

But Japan and China restarted yen
USDJPY, +0.01%
loans and energy loans to China, vigorously promoting reform and opening in China through these measures. Since then, China and Sino-Japanese relations have changed significantly.

The gross domestic product of Japan and China accounts for nearly 20% of the global economy, and Japan and China are the world’s third and second largest economies, respectively.

Not only is the Sino-Japanese relationship one of the most important relationships for both countries, but the two countries also shoulder the responsibility of the peace, stability and development of Asia and the world. Thus, the two countries should set out from an overall view of a strategically mutually beneficial relationship and jointly promote the peace, stability and development of the region and the world.

Q. It has been a long time since senior Chinese and Japanese leaders carried out high-level dialogue. When do you think the leaders of the two countries can expect to meet?

Kitera: Right now, representative Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito party, which has formed a ruling coalition government with the Liberal Democratic Party, is visiting China.

I hope that senior leaders from Japan and China can have exchanges as early as possible — not only prime minister Abe visiting China, but Chinese leaders visiting Japan. I will work hard for this, and I hope the Chinese side can make great effort with me. Japan and China are neighbors, and high-level exchanges between the two are indispensable.

Q. Regarding the economic relationship, Japanese companies have yet to shake off the trend of losing market share. How do you build what you called “deeper, broader cooperation between the two countries that is beneficial to citizens of both countries?”

Kitera: The Sino-Japanese political relationship is in a difficult situation, but if the overall relationship cools as a result, it would be completely out of line with the interests of the citizens of both countries. Japan and China must promote economic cooperation and exchange.

There is a close relationship of interdependence.

The financial sector is one example. At the end of 2011, Japanese and Chinese leaders reached a consensus on promoting financial cooperation. Direct conversion of the yen and yuan began in June last year, and the transaction amount is increasing.

With the increase of the size of the market in the future, we can expect to reduce transaction costs and accounting risks. Meanwhile, in the process of financial liberalization in China, I think Japan and China should work together hand in hand to push forward.

Japan hopes to achieve the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). Meanwhile, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), free-trade agreements between Japan, China and South Korea, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are conducive to the achievement of FTAAP and are reaching the same goal by a different route.

This year, negotiations between Japan and China have reached a consensus on promoting these free-trade agreements. I’m looking forward to speeding up progress on these negotiations.

Moreover, Japan has always wished that more people in China would pay attention to the environment, and Japan has helped Chinese environmental measures develop. For example, the Sino-Japan Friendship Center for Environmental Protection was established in 1996 using aid from the Japanese government. The center carries out business including research and surveys in the environmental arena, as well as training.

In terms of Beijing environmental improvement projects using yen loans, the introduction of power supply equipment that replaces coal with natural gas is playing a role in improving air quality in Beijing.

The Obuchi Fund, named for the former Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi, has always promoted Sino-Japanese green-exchange projects. In the last 12 years, 53,000 hectares of trees have been planted under the project.

It’s not only the field of environmental protection. Many Japanese companies have new technologies that China needs. Japanese-invested companies registered in China can be said to be Chinese companies. These companies and the more than 10 million Chinese people working for them make made-in-China products.

In addition, Japanese-invested companies carry out a variety of charitable activities in many fields in China. They provide personnel and material assistance to orphanages, disabled facilities, nursing homes and other places.

Q. Chinese and Japanese citizens seem to be showing less sympathy for each other recently. How can this situation be reversed?

Kitera: Currently, the Chinese people have a worsening impression of Japanese people, and the Japanese people also have a worsening impression of Chinese people. The two countries can employ a number of measures to improve national feelings.

I think increasing tourist visits will be one effective method to understanding the true situation of the other country. Since last fall, tourist visits between the two countries have fallen, which is a pity. But I think that Japan and China are countries rich in tourism resources, and it is important that they commit to restoring and further increasing the number of tourists.
— Masato Kitera, Japan’s envoy to China

I think increasing tourist visits will be one effective method to understanding the true situation of the other country. Since last fall, tourist visits between the two countries have fallen, which is a pity. But I think that Japan and China are countries rich in tourism resources, and it is important that they commit to restoring and further increasing the number of tourists.

In addition, we should actively promote exchanges between the young people who will shoulder the future. In 1987, I accepted an invitation from the All-China Youth Federation and visited China for the first time. I was the head of the Japanese delegation, and received a warm welcome everywhere we went. This happy scene is still fresh in my memory. The program continues today.

Meanwhile, beginning with the last Abe administration, the Japanese government launched the East Asian Youth Exchange Program, which in the five years from 2007 to 2011, carried out exchange visits with China involving approximately 20,000 young people.

In addition, since last year, Japan has carried out its Strengthen the Bonds of Friendship project. The project sends visitors to the earthquake disaster area in eastern Japan. Approximately 1,200 Chinese youth have visited Japan.

These are programs launched by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, in civil society, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China formed by Japanese companies in China, has sent approximately 300 university students to Japan in ten trips using contributions from member companies.

In fact, numerous government departments, groups and individual companies are actively launching youth exchange activities between Japan and China. Through these exchanges, we make great efforts to mutually convey a positive image to the other country.

Last, the role of the media is essential. If Japanese and Chinese media report only negative news, it will be difficult to improve national feelings. So I hope the media can report on the positive sides of both countries.

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